1967 Chevy Corvette Coupe Air AC Install - Cooling Your Vintage Vette, Part 1

From the engine compartment, this is what you'll see after the heater box and squirrel-cage fan have been removed.

The Vintage Air unit contains the A/C evaporator as well as the heater core and fan. It sandwiches between the firewall and the dashboard crossmember.

Here's the evaporator subcase in position prior to attaching duct hosing and making wiring connections. A bolt through the OEM hole in the firewall secures the rear of the case, while one of the lower glovebox retaining bolts supports the front of the case via a bracket.

The duct hosing must be cut to specific lengths: the 21/2-inch hosing is cut to an 18-inch length for the driver-side duct and a 56-inch length for the passenger side; the 2-inch hosing is cut to 16 inches for the driver's console duct and 8 inches for the passenger's. The defroster duct uses an 8-inch length of 21/2-inch hosing.

The cut hoses are attached to the subcase outlets and routed to their respective ducts, being careful to avoid kinks and squeezes that will restrict air flow. The passenger's duct is attached to the lower blower housing and the kick panels with self-tapping screws.

The driver-side duct is secured to the kick panel and (with a supplied bracket) to the underside of the steering column. Depending on your year, it may be necessary to relocate the headlight motor activation switch and/or the hood release. We lucked-out with the '67 and didn't have to move either one.

Here are the underhood components of the Vintage Air A/C system. The compressor is a Sanden unit, and all hoses, fittings, and O-rings are speci-fically designed for R134a refrigerant.

It's necessary to remove the hood to gain access to the front of the radiator to install the condenser and dryer. It's a good idea to scribe or mark the hinge positions before removing the hood to simplify realigning it when you put it back on later. Remove the three bolts on each hinge bracket as well as the two bolts securing the hood support. This is not a one-person job-have a helper support the opposite end so you don't damage the hood.

The old heater hoses are the next items to be replaced. Again, a long-bladed screwdriver is used to loosen the hose clamps. Don't miss Part 2 next month as our installation continues.